Testing the Limits
by Egglette
Summary: She was a prisoner, she was supposed to tell them her tribe's secrets. What happened? He let her go. Funny how fate works out that way. [Oneshot, probably not what you'll expect.]


**Hiya. It's been a while since I posted something of Avatar, and the first story I deleted 'cause I wrote it during my OC obession and my writing was crap (still is...)**

**You may have seen me on the TT works sections, and I apologize for not updating. I've written stuff, I'm just not satisfied with it. I will post two new chapters (one for each story) before I leave for Spring Break (which is sometime this week), though. **

**Disclaimer: God, I hate these. I don't own Avatar. (Wish I did)**

**Summary: She was a prisoner, she was supposed to tell them her tribe's secrets. What happened? He let her go. Funny how fate works out that way. Oneshot, probably not what you'll expect. (not a Kataang or Zutara)**

* * *

"The prisoner, General Iroh," the guard spat, throwing the tanned woman on the ground.

The woman growled. She clawed at her binds, wailing as another guard placed a scalding hand on her forearm. Iroh stared down at the woman with cold eyes; she was older than him, by how much he couldn't tell. She looked to be in her mid-thirties, still at the peak of her beauty.

Nodding, Iroh dismissed the men. "Tell me, what is your name?"

Eyes in slits, the woman hissed, "A name unworthy of your knowing."

He advanced on her, pushing her against the wall. "Do not doubt me, Water scum! Tell me your name!"

She turned her nose up, harrumphing mockingly. "Guard, take the woman away!" He threw her to the ground, ignoring the slew of curses she spit out.

Iroh rubbed his temples, sighing. This was going to be harder than he thought. "Stupid Ozai," he muttered. Ozai was years younger than he, and yet he had been proclaimed heir!

Whereas Iroh got the measly job as general—the shame!

"Sir," a guard coughed hesitantly, "the prisoner—the woman, what do we feed her?"

"We feed her nothing."

"B-But we want her alive, don't we?"

"She gets nothing until she talks. You may tell her that."

Biting his lip, the guard bowed his head and scurried from the room.

Iroh pulled out a pale parchment and a quill, dabbing it in a dark liquid. _'Father, all is going well. We have captured a Water Tribe woman, and are interrogating her shortly. The secrets of the whereabouts to the Northern Water Tribe will be ours, fear not,'_ he scrawled.

He hated to lie to his father—no, he would treat his father as his father had treated him. He wouldn't care to lie to his father; it was to a Fire Lord he didn't wish to lie to. But it had to be done.

He left the note on his desk; he would mail it later. A nice walk around the ship always helped to calm him, and he could always make a stop to see if the prisoner had changed her mind.

---

"Are you ready to talk yet, wench?"

She didn't look up from the hands folded in her lap. Iroh couldn't help but admire her beauty; she must have quite the suitors back at her village. It was a shame they would never have the chance to woo her again.

"When you talk to me as an equal, perhaps I will be."

Iroh couldn't help but chuckle at that; the absurdity of the statement! "As sure as the day we surrender, squaw."

"Your pathetic excuses for guards told me that I would not be fed until I told you of the location of my village. You'll have to be better than that, General."

"Why do you say that?"

She finally raised her head. Her blue eyes were sneering, her expression undoubtedly smug. "Where I am from, we often go days without food. Unlike your kind, who gorge on whatever they find, we make do. And should I die of starvation, I'll be glad to know I died for a gallant cause."

Iroh's eyes narrowed. "What is this 'gallant cause' do you speak of?"

"Why, saving hundreds of innocent lives from your grasp. You realize that we are just sinking further into hiding; you'll never find it."

"Stupid woman," Iroh jeered as a final statement before walking from the room (to what he considered) calmly.

---

For days Iroh returned, watching with interest as she regrettably passed up any food. She was growing weak, and the guards reported she had been vomiting every morning. Iroh sighed at this—damn it.

The woman blinked at the canister filled with the cold meat. She inspected it, sniffing and prodding, as if testing to be sure it wasn't poisonous.

"Go on, eat."

"What have you done to it? Is it toxic, perhaps? Or did you fill it with some kind of magic truth serum?"

Iroh grunted. She was going to make this difficult for him, wasn't she? "I have done nothing to it. It's simply leftovers that we were going to throw away anyway."

"Leftovers?" She laughed, "This doesn't look like leftovers." It was true; the meat hadn't been touched.

"Roast duck," Iroh crinkled his nose, "I hate it almost as much as ginseng tea. Damned cook always makes the worst of meals."

She did something he didn't expect; she laughed. "You're a spoiled little boy, aren't you?"

"I'm not a boy!"

She kissed her teeth as she shook her head. "You're not a day over eighteen, _General_. I'm sure you were assigned this position only because you whined at your father long enough. From what I've heard, your _younger_ brother is going to be taking the throne. Does that bother you?"

"Shut up!"

"Poor boy," she smiled haughtily, "you need to grow up. Anyone in my tribe would be thrilled to have such a delicacy such as roast duck _or_ ginseng tea!"

"I said shut up!"

"What a way to interrogate the prisoner too, _General_."

"Just eat the food so you can stop talking," he muttered in defeat. The blades of fire slowly extinguished from his clenched fists.

"By the way, why the sudden change of heart?" She had moved into the shadows, and Iroh couldn't read her expression. But from what she gathered from her tone, she was truly curious.

"I may be a spoiled little brat, but I'm not stupid. You're pregnant. I won't kill a baby, nevertheless unborn."

She stilled, not speaking for a time. "How…"

"Morning sickness, irritability, mood swings. All signs of pregnancy. Are you married?"

She had moved again, crawling up to the bars. She was clutching a blue pendant on a string; Iroh recognized it as an engagement necklace. "Engaged," she whispered, "I am—was engaged. I don't remember what happened exactly—to much of a drink I can't recall the name of. My…fiancé…I doubt he remembers, either."

"Did you love him?" Iroh's voice had gone softer.

"Partly," she admitted, sighing. "He was difficult"—she laughed again—"but so was I, I guess. I suppose I loved him, it was the idea of our marriage I didn't love. It was arranged, by our parents. The morning I realized I was pregnant, I ran to the icebergs to think. That's where I go to think. The ice drifted as I was lost in thought, and then—"

"—We found you," Iroh finished, feeling somewhat guilty now.

"Yes, you found me," she said in a cool voice. Iroh's golden eyes narrowed in curiosity as he attempted to read her eyes, but they were blank.

---

The next day Iroh when returned, the woman was waiting for him. "Kana," she said.

"What?"

"Kana; my name is Kana," she whispered, pushing the empty tray under the gap of bar and floor.

"O-Oh… Well…yes…"

She smiled faintly. "Are you wondering why I have told you my name?"

"…I suppose."

"Come now, don't lie. You're curious, I can see that." Iroh blushed. "You're a nice boy—why are you doing this?"

"I…my father…we… I don't know what you're talking about," he finished defiantly.

She was standing now, sticking her head through the two bars she grasped. "Do you like it that you're killing people?"

"I've never killed anyone!" Iroh stammered.

"You, maybe not, but the cause you fight for does. Are you aware how much blood is on your families hands?"

"Yes."

"And you don't care?"

"N-No…"

"Iroh, Iroh," she shook her head, "listen to yourself. I know you're not that kind of person."

"You don't know anything about me!"

"Maybe not," Kana confessed, "but from what I gather is that you're nobler than this. What has happened in your life that has made you want to be part of something so awful?"

"Power," Iroh hissed. His eyes no longer read concern or curiosity or embarrassment—they held no emotion at all.

---

Iroh did not return to the holding quarters for two days, but when he did, Kana was waiting. "I was wondering when you were going to talk to me again."

"You speak like we're old friends," he replied quietly.

"You never know, Iroh. Perhaps we did know each other in a past life," Kana smiled warmly.

"I doubt it."

"We argued, Iroh. And yet you still brought me food."

"I told you; I wouldn't kill a—"

"A baby? You wouldn't kill a baby? But if it's an adult, a teenager, a child, it's alright?"

"I wouldn't kill a child or a teenager!"

"Then you may want to reconsider career choices," Kana chuckled. Her face suddenly darkened, "But killing an adult is no different than killing a child, baby, or teenager, Iroh. Those adults probably have children. If you kill an adult, orphaning their children, you might as well have killed the child."

"I didn't choose this life, Kana. You don't understand! If I don't serve my country and fulfill my duties, I'll be exiled. And who would take me now? We're at war with every nation! The Air Nomads have died out, the Earth Kingdom is falling, and once we find the location of either Water tribes, we won't hesitate to attack!"

"I want you to try some of this," Kana said after a while. She shoved the half-eaten meat under the bars. Iroh scrunched up his face in disgust. "Tastes change, Iroh. You may find you like it."

Hesitantly, Iroh reached for the duck and bit into it. It wasn't as bad as he remembered, true. "Not…bad."

Kana smiled. "You see, Iroh. Things aren't always as you remember. And that tea you brought me, yes, the one you're trying to hide behind your back; I'll bet you'll enjoy the taste very much."

---

Kana's stomach grew over the six months she spent on the navy ship—she was roughly seven months pregnant now. She was allowed to roam around the ship freely, permitted she had someone to accompany her. Usually, a guard was not needed, as Iroh often escorted her.

One day, as they were leaning against the railing of the ship, Iroh couldn't help but notice the smile that hadn't left Kana's face since early that morning.

"Kana, I'm wondering."

"Wondering what, Iroh?"

"Why you keep smiling. It's bothering me!"

Kana laughed, ending her chuckles with a sigh. "I couldn't help but notice the wind; doesn't it usually get warmer the closer we get to the Fire Nation territory?"

Iroh looked away nervously. "Why aren't you turning me over to the Fire Lord? I still remember the way to the Northern Village."

"I know."

"Then why?"

"Not sure," he admitted. "Kana, you're the closest thing I've ever had to family. I couldn't see you get hurt."

She didn't reply; instead walked to the bowsprit of the ship and spread her arms out at the wind. She let out a series of yelps and cries in a tune that could be understood as joyful. Iroh's crew, most of which he handpicked himself, were all smiling to themselves as they heard the Water Tribe song.

They had grown to acknowledge Kana, and many were aware from the first time they saw her and Iroh talking to each other, laughing and smiling, privately, that she would not die at the hands of the Fire Lord.

She and Iroh shared a smile as she rejoined him by the rails. "What was that?"

"That was the cry a Water Tribe person would make when they are coming home from a long journey."

Iroh's smile faded. "Kana, you realize I can't take you back to the North Pole. I would meet other ships, and…"

"Iroh, from the day that I was imprisoned, I knew the North Pole was no longer my home. If there is a Water Tribe where we are going, I am happy."

And if Kana was happy, so was Iroh.

---

Iroh had been quiet the past day, Kana noticed. He had taken to their place by the rails early that morning and had not eaten or spoken to anyone since. Kana placed a hand on his shoulder as she followed his gaze towards the iceberg scattered water. "Why have you been so quiet? It's unlike you."

"This is far as we can take you," Iroh said softly.

"I know," she nodded her head.

"We can give you a smaller boat, but the ice won't let our ship continue. Besides," Iroh said with a sad titter, "the last ship that was sent down here didn't turn out so well."

Kana didn't reply to that. "Promise me something."

"Anything," Iroh said.

"Promise me won't ever meet again."

Iroh was shocked silent. "K-Kana… Why?"

She turned her head away. "Iroh, I can't make you change your destiny. You were right; this is your life—I'll be blunt with you about it. The next time you see me, I'll be in danger."

"I would never hurt you! You're like a mother to me!"

"I know that, Iroh. Please, understand."

Unshed tears settled on the brims of his eyes. "I don't! I don't understand!"

"You will someday…son. And," she added with a giggle, "Don't forget to consume all the roast duck and ginseng tea you can—once you've retired, of course."

"But I'll grow fat!" Iroh persisted. Kana laughed, throwing back her braided hair. "I won't be fat, I tell you!"

"Iroh," she shook her head, still laughing, "the measure of a stomach is often the measure of one's heart."

She left later that day, still smiling widely. Iroh had taken it offensively, but she had just laughed and said, 'Iroh, if you will not smile, I will smile for you.'

Iroh returned to his cabin and crumpled up a letter he had long 'forgotten' to send.

---

_Years Later:_

"Uncle, aren't you coming?" Zuko threw out an arm towards the icy village. He ignored the groans from the men who were placing the armor on him; now they had to start over. Damned boy just _had_ to move…

"No, Prince Zuko," Iroh replied softly.

"But I'm about to capture the Avatar! Don't you want to see me accomplish this?"

Iroh sighed; how could he explain this to his nephew? He knew she was still there—he could sense it. "I can't break my promise," he said quietly before turning on his heel. As he proceeded down the hall, the sipping of ginseng tea filled the chamber.

Zuko snorted, rolling his eyes. Sometimes, his uncle was weirder than he thought.

* * *

**Haha, this oneshot is so random. **

**Mrf, but I like it. Even though they're aren't any pairings, and no fluff (no, it's not IrohxKana xP), I think it turned out well. **

**I needed a break from my TT, guys. I'm still in love with Teen Titans, but I've been noticing how awesome Avatar is, suddenly. I mean, those guys just _made it up_. It's amazing. And the art work! Wow. Yeah, I'll be posting this on dev. too.**

**It suprises me when Nick gets these amazing shows like Avatar, and then have these really...crappy ones like Zoey 101. (no offense, if you watch it.)**

**Anyway, send me your thoughts!**


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